The Array Around Her Neck
by nerf-battles
Summary: The team in Central have their hands full with a woman that literally fell into their lives. She's a 'cute, smart, funny girl with a good personality' but there's one problem. She has no memories. Can she get her momories back? What if someone falls for who he thinks she is? OCX?
1. Chapter 1

(A/N): Hey! So I've been writing this for quite a while, all the time telling myself that this was 'just for me'. And then I decided that I'd post it. Why the hell not right? Now because it was 'just for me' there are a few things in the story that you'd just have to take with a grain of salt. But it's Fanfiction so whatever. Haha :p

Also anyone who read my fruits basket story knows that I reused my OC's name. The OC's have some similarities but are quite different when you get right down to it. :)

(Ed's POV)

"What should we make for dinner?" Al asked me.

"I don't know. Something with chicken, it was on sale so we have a lot," I said, not looking up from my book. We were back in central as researchers for the military. We explored east and west like we planned but then Colonel bastard… well I guess General Bastard now, called us back with something apparently only _we_ could help with. We just didn't leave again.

"Ok. And we have a lot of potatoes as well," he said.

"Uh huh, hey come look at this," I said and laid the book on the table. I had found something interesting that had to do with our current project. Al leaned over and was about to reply when we heard a crash from the living room. We glanced at each other before running in to find… a girl. She was sitting on top of what _used_ to be our coffee table.

"Who the hell are you?" I yelled. She simply stared at me.

"Brother you shouldn't-"

"HEY! I asked you a question damn it!" I stomped over and got in her face. The girl herself was pretty enough but in a desperate need of a shower. I looked closer and saw little cuts all over her arms. Those will get infected if she doesn't get them cleaned soon.

"Brother! Calm down," Al yelled from behind me.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Al. She just popped up in our house AND she won't even give us a name! It's not exactly a hard question," I said. Al pulled me back a few steps and stood between us.

"I'm sorry about Brother, you just startled him is all," he said sweetly and offered his hand to help her up. "His name is Edward and mine is Alphonse. May I ask what your name is?"

"I… I don't know," she whispered and tears began to spill out of her eyes. Well now I just feel like shit.

"You lost your memory? Do you remember anything before you were here?" he asked and she shook her head and let out a little sob.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" I said while leaning around Al a little. She nodded then took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"Sorry. Um… I'll just get out of your house now," she said and stood before awkwardly looking for an exit.

"No you won't either. I'll make you something to eat while you take a bath," Al said firmly.

"And we need to take care of all those cuts you have," I put in. Al gasped slightly and stepped closer to look at her arms.

"I couldn't ask you to do that," she said.

"You're not asking, but we're telling. Now get in there and I'll bring you something to wear in a minute," I said and she looked at me for a few seconds before simply smiling and following my finger through the door.

"We should take her shopping tomorrow, her clothes were all cut up too," Al said before clapping his hands and fixing the little table.

"Yeah. I wonder what happened to her… Anyway, you start cooking. Do you think we have anything a girl would wear?"

"Ha, no. She just needs something to cover herself though," he said and walked into the kitchen. I went to my room and began rummaging through all my clothes. As much as I hate to admit it my clothes would probably fit her better than Al's. After searching for a time I came up with a black tank top like the one I used to wear when I was a State Alchemist and some sweatpants. The draw strings should make it easier for her to work with. I froze outside the bathroom door as it just suddenly hit me that she's well… a she. I'll just leave them out here.

"Hello?" I called through the door. "I brought you clothes… I'll just leave them by the door."

"Wait! I need a towel," she called back. Crap! The towels aren't in there.

"Oh… I'll leave one here too."

"Then I'll drip everywhere. Could you just bring me one, please?" she asked. I grabbed a towel out of the closet then took a deep breath before going in. I walked over to the counter to put the towels and the clothes there, my eyes trained on the ceiling the whole time. The world decided to hate me as my foot suddenly lost traction in a little puddle and I fell on my ass. In the bathroom. With a naked girl in a tub a few feet away.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't realize some splashed out. Are you ok?" she asked and I looked over on instinct. She had gotten on her knees to look at me and was leaning over with her arms resting on the sides of the tub. She was fortunately covered…mostly. I still got quite the eyeful.

"I'm fine!" I shouted a little hysterically as I scrambled up and launched myself out of the room, slamming the door behind me. I stood on the other side for a moment to calm myself down. I took several deep breaths… I didn't want Al to see me so embarrassed.

"You ok brother?" Al asked, popping his head in from the kitchen.

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine," I forced out.

"Then could you come here and peel the potatoes?" he asked with a smirk that told me he knew almost exactly what happened. I grumbled as I went to help him with dinner anyway.

She wandered into the kitchen just as dinner was being finished. I only knew she came in after Al blushed bright red and started stammering nonsense in the direction of the door. I glanced over and wished I hadn't. There is no way in hell those old clothes should have ever been able to look so… sexy. The top hung loosely around everything but her chest, and was too short so you could see a couple inches of skin around her hips. The bottoms she had on really low. I mean Reeeeeally low. Like one little tug and they'd be on the floor. For some reason she had rolled them down to be that way.

"Are you guy's ok?" she asked worriedly. Having already seen her in less I was the first to recover.

"We're fine! It's just a little hot over the stove is all," I chuckled and gave Al's arm a tight squeeze to bring him back to earth.

"Oh. Is there anything I can help with?" she asked.

"No we're done. Have a seat!" Al said a little nervously. He sat next to her at the little table and I sat across from them.

"Thank you guys," she said seriously as we started loading our plates.

"It's no problem! Oh, brother maybe we should ask Mrs. Hughes to take her shopping tomorrow."

"That's a good idea. Maybe Colonel Hughes would have some ideas on how to help with your memory loss," I said.

"Colonel Hughes?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah… do you know him?" I asked.

"Uh… no. I don't know anybody," she laughed. "Well I guess besides you two."

"Well anyways he's a really nice guy and I know he'll do anything he can to help you," Al said brightly trying to muscle through any sadness her statement might have caused her.

"I don't have any-" she started but I cut her off.

"We're paying. And you're staying here tonight," I said firmly. She smiled softly at me before standing and walking around the table. She leaned over and squeezed my shoulders while pressing her cheek into my hair.

"You guys are too nice," she said and released me to give Al a hug as well. We finished eating and cleared the table. Now that the girl wasn't in as much shock we found that she was quite fun to have around. I found it amazing that even though she had no memories she had some of the fastest comebacks I've ever heard. She was witty and charming and most defiantly kind hearted.

"Alright let's get something on those cuts," Al said when she started yawning. He led her to the living room and I got the antiseptic and some swabs. She sat on the couch as we each started working up her arms and she bit her lip as the cuts we dabbed started foaming up. I came to a particularly deep one and poured a little from the bottle on it.

"Fuck," she hissed. Al and I glanced at each other and smirked, she's the only girl we knew that talked like that.

"Sorry," I said. I reached the top of her arm and could see the cuts going under the shirt. How far did they go? I looked to Al for help but he was busy dabbing at her shoulders.

"There's some under the shirt. I can feel them," she muttered after seeing my gaze. She pulled the bottom of her pants up to show her knees which had scrapes on them like she had fallen. When she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and started pulling it up Al and I both cried out in alarm.

"What are you doing?" I yelled.

"Taking off the shirt," she said matter of factly.

"W-why?" Al asked.

"I thought you were the ones that wanted to clean all these cuts. What, are you shy?" she asked. She pulled the shirt over her head and Al and I both turned automatically.

"Brother, I think there's something…different about her," Al whispered.

"No shit!" I hissed back.

"Well come on, I want to go to sleep," she said and gave another yawn for emphasis. Well this is silly. It's just a body. I took a deep breath and turned to work on her stomach. She thankfully had an arm wrapped around her chest but that didn't cover much. She wasn't exactly small up there. Al turned to take care of her knees and we were done in another minute or so.

"There that wasn't so bad was it?" she asked as she tugged on the shirt. "I'm pretty sure it was more painful for me then for you." She flopped to the side and stretched out on the couch.

"You don't have to sleep here. You can take my bed," Al offered.

"No, I'm just fine here. A blanket would be nice though," she muttered and drifted off just like that. Al went and got her a blanket to drape over her then we both went to our rooms… trying to not think about what we just saw.


	2. Chapter 2

(Ed's POV)

"Yo Ed, Al. How you boys doin? I hear you have a girl locked away here," Hughes said loudly as he walked in.

"Shhh. Not so loud will ya?" I hissed at him.

"Oh she doesn't know she's being held captive?" he winked.

"She's still asleep. I think she went through a lot before she got here," Al said quietly.

"Oh. Well where is she?" He asked. I sighed and pointed to the other side of the room where she was sprawled out on the couch. I don't know how he missed her… she's not really hiding or anything. He looked at her for a second then turned back to us with a glare that had us instinctively shrinking back against each other.

"Not only did two _gentlemen_ such as yourselves make her sleep on the couch, you made her sleep in _that?_" He growled. I looked over and realized exactly what he was talking about. She had kicked off the blanket and had flipped on her stomach, her shirt had ridden up really high and the pants were almost not getting the job done. To make matters worse she chose that time to roll onto her back and stretch her arms above her head, giving a soft whimper.

"How was I supposed to know she would wear the clothes like that when I gave them to her?" I asked.

"Really it's not any different from what Winry wears…" Al said thoughtfully.

"You boys have been around Winry since you were born. This girl is a total stranger, it's a little different," Hughes said and walked over to the couch. He grabbed the blanket and draped it over her again. She yawned and stretched again but this time cracked and eye open. She looked around the room before focusing on the man standing above her.

"Hello sweetheart," Hughes said sweetly. "I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry." She stared at him for a full three seconds before her face split into a huge grin.

"Mr. Hughes?" she asked sleepily.

"Call me Maes sweetie," he beamed back at her.

"Ok… and you'll have to use your imagination for my name right now," she laughed as she sat up.

"Well you seem to be taking it ok…" Hughes muttered as he considered her for a moment.

"There's not much I can do about it right? So why bother freaking out?" she reasoned and stood to make her way to the bathroom.

"Do you want something to eat?" Al called after her.

"No thanks. Can I borrow some socks though?" she called back.

"She's sort of… random," Hughes supplied.

"And really not bashful," I muttered.

"What was that?" he asked sharply.

"Nothing!" I said and pretended to find the floor interesting as I felt my cheeks flare up. She emerged from the bathroom a minute later carrying her old clothes.

"The only things to escape damage from… whatever it was were my shoes and underwear. Actually my bra got a little messed up too. See?" She held up her bra so we could see the tears in it. Why she did this I don't know.

"Uh, here's some socks," Al said from behind me. She shifted the stuff in her arms to take the socks and something fell out of the pocket of her jeans with a thunk. I bent to pick up what seemed to be a necklace and I paused at what was hanging from it.

"Hughes look at this," I held it out to him and he looked at it for a moment before considering the girl again.

"Do you know what that is?" he asked her.

"No. It was around my neck and I took it off last night to get in the bath," she said.

"What is it?" Al asked curiously and leaned over my shoulder to see.

"Isn't that…" he trailed off.

"Yeah. It's the array for Fire Alchemy," I muttered.

"Maybe we should talk to Roy as well. He's the only one I know that uses Fire Alchemy," Hughes said.

"Yeah, are you ready to go?" I asked the girl. She had been getting her shoes on as the three of us discussed what the necklace could mean.

"Yup," she said simply and went towards the door. I yanked a random coat out of the closet by the door and draped it over her shoulders.

"It's…cold outside," I said as she stared at the coat. It wasn't really cold but she should have some covering over _that_. She got a huge smile over her face as she pushed her arms through the sleeves. I realized it was my old red coat with our teachers' symbol on it.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over how loud this coat is," she smirked.

"Do you have a problem with my sense of style?" I asked.

"Well you'd have to have one for me to have a problem with it," she said as her smirk grew.

"Why you-"

"I'm just kidding Ed. I love it," she said and opened the door before simply walking outside. We all followed her and we lead her down the street as her eyes danced around like she was mystified by the sights.

"Hey Ed?" she asked and I wondered when the hell she started calling me Ed. I never told her I usually went by that…

"Yeah?" I said.

"Can I have the necklace back?" she asked quietly. I had to think about that one, I had been having a feeling that she's not being completely honest with us. She could somehow use the array to do alchemy… but then again she had all night to do that if she was going to. And I really don't think she would hurt us, that feeling I'm getting might just be because she doesn't even know… herself. Who she is.

"Sure. But why?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"Well it's mine. It's one of the only things left from… who I was before. Does that make any sense?" she asked as she took it from my fingers.

"Yes," I said. I watched her hook it around her neck as we continued walking. She seemed to get excited over places and people for a time, but about halfway through our walk to the shopping area she abruptly started acting nonchalant. That was until we reached the shopping area and Elicia ran straight up to her.

"Hi! Are you the girl we're helping?" Elicia asked and the girl beamed and crouched down so she was at eye level with Elicia.

"That'd be me. Are you gonna help me pick out some clothes?" the girl asked and Elicia nodded and giggled.

"Hi, I'm Gracia," Mrs. Hughes said as she wandered over to the two. The girl stood and shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you so much for your help, it means a lot," the girl said.

"We are happy to help," Mrs. Hughes said then looked the girl up and down. "Oh dear, this is more serious than I thought. Come on."

The women half of the group spent the better part of two hours going from store to store and trying on clothes. The men half dutifully took up our rolls as the bag holders while following them. It was clear that the girl didn't really like shopping, which was good, otherwise we would have been there all day. Mrs. Hughes was obviously enjoying dressing her up.

"Ok. I'm sure I have more than enough clothes," the girl muttered after checking out from the fifth store. She was now wearing some fitted jeans with a black fitted collared button down shirt that she had unbuttoned at the top to show off the necklace. The effect showed off her curves quite nicely.

"Wasn't there someone you wanted me to meet?" she asked me.

"Yes unfortunately. We should at least see if he recognizes you or something," I said.

"And brother we should look up that equation you found last night," Al said.

"I have a few things to take care of as well. I'll grab us a cab," Hughes said and went to a nearby phone booth to call a car(1).

"Gracia, thank you for your help. I can't say I really like shopping but I enjoyed being dressed up by you," the girl said and Mrs. Hughes gave her a hug.

"If there's anything else you need just ask alright? Here's our number," Mrs. Hughes said and handed her a slip of paper.

"You'll come see me soon right?" Elicia asked.

"Of course," the girl said and got on one knee to hug her as well.

"Cars here," Hughes called.

We all piled in the car and headed for central command. As we walked through the gates and through the buildings I saw her eyes darting around like when we were walking down the street earlier. We came up to Mustangs office door and Al reached out to knock but Hughes and I just burst in like we owned the place.

"Knock knock," I heard the girl say sarcastically from behind me.

"Mustang, we need you to look at something," I said loudly as he hadn't looked up from his paperwork yet. He sighed and held out his hand, still without looking up. I raised my eyebrow at the girl and she shrugged and walked towards him. She leaned over his desk so the array hanging from her neck landed in his hand. He finally looked up at his hand but then jumped when he saw the girl leaning over him.

"This is Roy Mustang," Hughes introduced and the girl stood straight again. "Roy this is… well we don't have a name yet but I've been calling her 'sweetie'."

"Ok. What the hell is going on and why do you have my array around your neck?" Mustang asked.

"If you had been paying attention you would know that I don't know why I have this, seeing as I don't even know my own name," the girl smirked and I snorted.

"So you don't recognize her general?" Al asked. Mustang looked her up and down with a smirk.

"No, and I think I would remember a body like that," he said. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Oh that's charming. Am I supposed to get on my knees and start sucking your cock now?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, and I witnessed something I never thought I would live to see. Mustang was speechless.

(A/N): Good God I did NOT want to put him in another phone booth. Lol


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh that's charming. Am I supposed to get on my knees and start sucking your cock now?" the woman asked sarcastically. I stared at her with my mouth hanging slightly open. Recover, damn it! You have a reputation to uphold.

"I was going for a simple swoon but if that's what you'd rather…" I trailed off with a smirk.

"I gotta say they are both equally unlikely," she said. Crap, I don't have a comeback again… she's pretty good. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, when Maes cut me off.

"Roy," he said sharply. I glanced over at him and he gave me a glare. So this woman has wormed her way into Maes' heart already huh. Not that that's particularly hard… but still, she must be pretty special.

"It's ok Maes. He's just having a hard time getting control of the situation back, so he's freaking out a little," the woman smirked. She might as well have slapped me in the face. Ed, who had been snickering this whole time, burst out into real laughter.

"Awesome," Ed managed to squeeze out in between laughs. "Oh I like you."

"You're just now realizing this?" she asked pretending to be hurt. "And I thought we had such a special moment last night." Ed quieted instantly and his face turned bright red.

"Sh-shut up!" he yelled.

"You don't remember?" she asked and walked seductively over to him, I couldn't help but watch the sway of her…hips. "When you had me on your couch…and you took of my shirt-"

"You took of your shirt!" Ed yelled.

"-And then you rubbed my-" she continued like nothing happened.

"SHUT UP!" Ed screamed then covered his ears like he was five. The woman started laughing and threw her arm around his shoulders.

"Good lord Ed, you are so fun to tease," she grinned.

"Wow Ed. Finally starting to have some fun in your life huh?" I asked.

"Geez Ed! What did you do to this poor girl?" Maes asked. Ed spluttered out incoherent nonsense before crying out in frustration.

"Come on Al," he growled and dragged his laughing brother out of my office. The three of us chuckled for a moment before she suddenly turned and pointed at me.

"Ok you. I am willing to go outside, come back in, and start over like our first _encounter_ didn't happen. What do you say?" she asked.

"I say if you're willing to give me a second chance I will gladly accept it," I said. She grinned and gave me a nod before bouncing out the door, her long curly hair dancing behind her. She came back in and seemingly danced over to my desk.

"Hi! You must be Roy Mustang, it's nice to meet you," she said and offered her hand to me. I removed my glove before taking her warm hand in mine. I was a little surprised at what I found by that simple handshake. Despite her looks she grasped my hand firmly and it felt calloused, I was ashamed to admit more calloused than mine.

"It's nice to meet you too. What should I call you? I'm sure you don't want me to use sweetie…" I trailed off as she shrugged.

"Ah, why the hell not," she said. I was about to ask if she was serious when Maes' curiosity got the better of him.

"Ok, I'm sorry, but I have to know. What the hell were you talking about with Ed?" Maes asked. I was wondering how long he'd last.

"Oh that?" she asked and lifted the bottom of her shirt to revile her rather toned stomach with cuts all over it. "I don't know where they came from but they're all over my arms and chest too. Ed and Al cleaned them for me last night."

"Well that's disappointing and relieving at the same time," Maes laughed. There was a knock on the door and he wandered over to answer it.

"Sir, we heard you were here. We need you to sign-"

"I know, I know. That's why I stopped by," he sighed and looked over at 'sweetie' "Do you want to come with me? Or I could tell you where Ed and Al are."

"Actually, if it's ok with you Roy, I'll just hang out here. His couch looks comfy," she said and looked at me.

"I don't mind," I shrugged. Maes gave me a warning glare before heading out the door. Really I don't know what he thinks I'm going to do to her. I glanced over as she plopped on the couch and got comfortable.

"I won't bother you. I think I'll take a nap," she muttered and slouched further down into the cushions.

"Let me know if you need anything," I said and for some reason that caused her to smile even as her eyes were closed. I bent my head and went through several more reports but I eventually had to look over again. She was definitely asleep already… she looked so peaceful. I shook my head and bent over my work again. Ten minutes later I reached over to my 'in' box again and found a miracle. It was empty. I could take off early and have the whole weekend to myself. Oh… but what about her? I can't just leave her here alone. I'll just wake her up and take her to Maes or something.

I stood and walked over to the couch. I was just going to reach out and touch her shoulder when I stopped and pulled back. I sat on the little table next to her and peered into her face. She was quite beautiful. And as soon as I thought that I realized how creepy it was for me to watch her while she slept. I reached out again and this time made contact with her shoulder. She stirred cutely and her eyes cracked open to focus on me.

"Inora," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry?" I asked. What did that mean?

"That's my name. Inora," she said slowly and sat up.

"Did you get you memory back?" I asked, confused.

"No… I just dreamed it. Someone… a woman was calling that and I somehow knew it was my name," she explained.

"Well that's a pretty name Inora," I smiled. "Hughes will still probably call you Sweetie though."

"Probably," she agreed with a chuckle, but it sounded tired.

"You seem a little stressed," I said.

"Well what do you expect? But yes, I could use a drink," she said.

"A drink you say? I can help with that," I stood and offered her my arm.

"You're buying?" she asked.

"Of course. I'm always looking for new drinking buddies so this time's on me," I said and she grinned.


	4. Chapter 4

(Hughes POV)

Finally done with all that busy work. I went to go get Sweetie from Roy before he could convince her to do something stupid. Though truth be told I think I need to worry more about her then Roy. I trust him to not come up with the plan but not to say no if she comes up with one. And she… Well let's just say I think she knows how to have a good time. And yes I mean 'knows', I have a feeling that she has more memories then she's saying. I don't think she's dangerous, so if she wants us to think she has no memories then that's not my business. I stepped into Roy's office and found… nothing.

"Ok… where the hell did those two run off to?" I asked nobody. "They are so going to get it when I find them."

(Roy's POV)

"Prove it," I whispered huskily into 'Inora's' ear and she grinned.

"Oh I don't think you'd want to challenge me," she said.

"I really think I do," I said. How did we get to this? Oh well. All I know is that she thinks she can make me nervous before she wimps out.

"Fine." She pushed me backwards into a chair and I fell heavily into it. So yeah, we had had a few. In one fluid motion she straddled my lap and sat lightly down. The only warning I had was warm breath on my ear before she was nibbling and sucking on the lobe. I fought to keep my breathing even. A hand brushed against the side of my neck and the other traveled down my chest. It kept going. It got just past the waistline of my pants when she suddenly pulled back with a laugh.

"I win!" she said brightly.

"What makes you say that?" I asked. She tapped her fingers against my neck where they had been resting.

"Your pulse silly," she giggled. Clever girl. She had been keeping track of my pulse this whole time.

"Nicely done," I said and she giggled again. She attempted to get up but lost her balance and plopped back down again. She laughed hard and rested her head on my chest while I heard another sound I hadn't heard in years. My own laughter.

"I might need some help to get up," she said.

"Now why would I want that?" I smirked. She playfully smacked my shoulder and giggled. This was all the alcohols fault. I wasn't in control. That's what I told myself any way. 'The alcohol' brought my hand up to her ass and gave her a little pinch. She squealed and jumped which caused it to feel like she thrust against me.

"You have the most adorable little squeal," I said and gave her another pinch. She squealed, thrust and laughed again. My hands traveled up her sides while she giggled and squirmed some more. I tried to ignore the friction against my groin. I brushed against her chest and she gasped and hit my shoulder half heartedly. I grinned and cupped one to re-realize that they were rather sizable. She smacked my hand away and gave my face a light tap.

"Shouldn't you at least kiss a girl before going for second base?" she asked and snorted in laughter.

"If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask," I said and took her chin a little sloppily in my fingers. She quieted down as soon as she saw what I was doing. She let her eyes slide closed and I leaned in slightly. Then I kept leaning and almost fell before I realized there was no weight on my legs, she was just gone. I looked up to see a giggling Inora hanging from a glaring Maes' arms.

"You thought it was a good idea to get this poor girl drunk and take advantage of her?" he growled.

"Hughes, calm down," I said.

"I thought I could trust you for an _hour_. I can't believe-"

"Maes it was my idea," Inora said and spun in his arms.

"But he shouldn't have gone-"

"You want me to drink alone? And can you really blame me for wanting a drink?" she asked cutely.

"Well no, but-"

"Guess what! I remember my name," she said brightly before he could come up with another problem.

"Oh that's great! What is it?" he asked, completely distracted.

"Inora," she said.

"Inora… that's really pretty," he said and she threw her arms around his neck. She nestled her face against his chest and as I looked at her face I noticed she looked… content. I guess it wasn't just me she wanted to get cozy with.

"It's so nice to see you alive and happy," she sighed. What kind of thing is that to say? Happy sure, but _alive?_ And why him? She didn't say anything like that to me… wait, am I jealous?

"Well thank you sweetie. Shall we take you home now?" he asked.

"No. I have not yet begun to drink!" she yelled causing several people around us to laugh and cheer. I walked over and tugged her gently out of Maes' arms and into mine.

"Oh I like this girl. If she wants more drinks I am happy to get them for her," I said. Inora giggled and hugged me tightly.

"Aw Roy, I like you too!" she said and dragged me to the bar.

"I'll just call Gracia and let her know I won't be home till late," Maes mumbled.

"Do whatever you have to, but nobody's forcing you to stay," I called back over my shoulder.

"And if I don't stay…" he muttered as he walked away.

"Sex on the beach," Inora was saying. That got my attention.

"Um… I'm not sure I know that one," the bartender said.

"Oh, it's vodka, rum, pineapple juice and cranberry juice," she explained, giving him measurements with her fingers, and he nodded and went to make the mixture.

"And here I thought you just wanted whisky," I said, up till now that's what she had been asking for with juice to case it down.

"Well I don't really like the taste of whiskey… these actually taste good. Here, try it," she said and shoved a salmon colored drink under my nose. I took a sip. It was quite good.

"It is good," I said.

"And strong. Three of these give me a good buzz." Hmm, maybe we _should_ take her home. We have already had quite a few shots of whisky… and that's not what you'd call weak.

"Two more," I found myself saying to the bartender instead.

"Oh good. Maes should have one," she said and sucked down a third of her drink through her straw. Ok, just one more then we'll leave. I drank mine, trying to ignore the fact that it sort of looked like a girly drink despite how much alcohol was in it. Maes got back and she practically forced his on him.

Three more drinks later and Maes was shoving us out of the door.

"You both will stay at my house," Maes said firmly after Inora made a suggestion that she stay at my house.

"I just didn't want to impose," she slurred.

"So it's ok to impose on me and not him?" I asked with a chuckle.

"You are a single dude, dude. I'm sure you have plenty of space. And a nice, big bed," she giggled.

"Oh I do-"

"But, you'll be staying with me," Maes cut in.

"Ok," she said simply then suddenly ran around me. Suddenly I felt a weight on my back that almost caused me to do a face plant into the sidewalk. It took me longer then it should have to realize that she was on my back.

"Forward!" she commanded and her hand shot out in front of my face to point forward. I simply shrugged and started walking towards the Hughes household.

By the time that we got to the house she was starting to get really heavy.

"Inora," I said. I should warn her before I set her down.

"She's asleep Roy," Maes said.

"Great," I said and headed for the couch. I turned around and sat down. Or I tried to sit but I more fell backwards. She whined as I fell backwards on top of her, but she refused to let me up. I managed to swivel around to try and push myself up with my arms but she wrapped her legs around me.

"Nope," she mumbled. I guess that means I'm not getting up. I pushed her fully onto the couch and simply laid down on top of her. I had to admit that using her chest as a pillow was quite comfortable…

"I guess that's fine. You both look like you're a second away from passing out anyway," Maes said as he turned off the light and headed to his room.

About an hour later I woke up to Inora squirming under me.

"I can't move," she muttered and started to roll me towards the back of the couch. She succeeded in flipping our positions but then she moved her legs and wedged them in between mine. Then she began to scoot her body down mine so her head was on my chest. The scooting was the problem; every time she shifted she seemed to grind into my groin way more then was necessary. My neck seemed to arch by itself and I gave a little gasp. She simply tucked her arms under her and nuzzled her face into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her to help keep her warm and resigned myself to thinking about things that disgusted me. Hopefully she was too far gone to notice my…_little problem_ pressing against her lower stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke to the sound of high pitch laughter. Not a good thing to wake up to after a night of drinking. I groaned and went to roll over but there was something on top of me to stop me from doing that. I heard the unmistakable click of Maes' camera and my eyes shot open to see him smirking with a camera in one hand and the back of Elicia's shirt in the other holding her back from jumping on me. Scratch that, jumping on _us._ I looked down to see a mass of curly dirty blond hair all over my chest.

"Mmmm," the mass moaned and nuzzled my chest.

"Um…" I had no idea what to say. I just barely remember getting like this… I think. She stiffened for a moment then seemed to relax again before lifting her head up to stare at me blurrily.

"It's too god damn early. Go back to sleep," she mumbled so Elicia couldn't hear her language.

"I could but Hughes would take more pictures," I pointed out.

"Fuck it," she said and plopped her head back down. I was suddenly inclined to agree with her and let my head flop back as well.

"Oh no. You two can't go back to sleep. We have the whole day ahead of us," Gracia said as she came in from the kitchen. Inora groaned and began slowly lifting herself off of me until she was on her knees, still in between my legs. That necklace was swaying above me the whole time. I watched her rub cutely at her eyes as I sat up as well.

"Could you move some more? You have one of my legs trapped," I asked and she stared at me.

"I would, but if I move anymore I might throw up," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh perfect," I growled.

"Just give me a second," she said calmly and started taking deep breaths.

"What's wrong?" Gracia asked.

"We didn't eat dinner last night before…" Inora trailed off. Of course! That's why we feel so bad. There is no way that amount should have made me sick otherwise. Well that was stupid.

"Well you should eat now. What do you think you'd like?" Maes asked.

"Water and Oatmeal, or toast is fine if you don't have Oatmeal," Inora answered quickly. She abruptly stood and went down the hall.

"First door on the right Sweetie," Maes called after her. I had to use the bathroom too…plus Elicia was still giggling for whatever reason. I headed after her but ran into something I didn't expect. There was the unmistakable sound of Inora vomiting on the other side of the door. She wasn't kidding.

"Are you ok?" I called through the door and all that answered me was more reaching. I checked the handle and the door wasn't even latched, it swung open to revile the poor woman kneeling in front of the toilet. I saw her glance at me from under her bangs before she shook her head.

"Get out!" she said as soon as her stomach stopped heaving. The tone of her voice had me almost hitting my own face with the door as I closed it.

"I-uh. Sorry," I called through the door rather lamely. I wandered out into the living room again to wait my turn.

"You're s'pos ta knock before goin in the bathroom," Elicia giggled.

"I know kiddo," I chuckled. "But she sounded like she needed help."

"And what help would you give her," Maes asked suspiciously.

"She's throwing up. It's not like I was looking for an excuse to go in there," I snorted.

"Oh dear, she's worse off than I thought!" Gracia said, concerned. She turned to head towards the bathroom when Inora emerged looking a little haggard.

"Are you alright?" Maes asked.

"Yeah, just kinda sucks when you don't have anything in there _to_ throw up. You know?" she chuckled weakly.

"Well come in the kitchen, we did have some Oatmeal this morning so I just had to heat it up," Gracia smiled.

"Thanks," Inora said and followed her into the kitchen. I came in later after I finished in the bathroom, which included rinsing my mouth out with the mouthwash Inora had already found. When I came in Inora had already eaten half of her bowl and was getting some Aspirin poured into her hand by Gracia. Inora patted the seat next to her and I sat down heavily behind my own bowl. I stared at the bowl long and hard. My stomach was nauseous too.

"It will make you feel better in a while. Just muscle through it," Inora said quietly as she poked at the contents of her bowl, staring at it just like I was. I was going to mention that this was by no means my first hangover but then I realized that that would make me sound a little…sad. I dug in manfully as she did the same and Maes watched us in amusement.

"Something funny Maes?" Inora asked.

"Oh I'm just enjoying watching the 'partiers' pay their price," he replied with a huge smirk.

"Whatever. I'll be fine in about 20 minutes," she said and took another bite.

"Ah to be young," he laughed.

"I'm probably not as young as you think. People always think I'm younger then I am," she said.

"I'm guessing 22," I said.

"Well you're closer than most. I'm 25," she said.

"So you're only seven years younger than me," I observed.

"Only? Now why should you be worried about your age difference Roy?" Maes asked.

"Well I wasn't worried. I was just…" I didn't know, but fortunately the phone rang saving me from having to come up with something. Maes went to answer it while Inora and I continued to force our food down. I heard him suddenly start talking like he was in boot camp again and I turned to see him actually standing at attention… on the phone. There's only one reason for that, and sure enough he turned to me and held out the phone.

"It's the Fuhrer," Maes whispered just in case that old man could still overhear. I took the phone and took a deep breath before putting it to my ear.

"Fuhrer Grumman, sir," I said.

"Ah, Roy. I hate to call you on your day off but I need to speak with you. Can you come in?" he asked.

"Of course sir, I can be there in twenty minutes," I said.

"There's no rush. As I understand it you had quite the night with a pretty young woman," he chuckled.

"Sir?" I asked, not really sure what to make of that.

"One of my assistants was at the bar you went to last night," he explained. "He said she was a lively woman for not having her memories."

"As well informed as ever I see," I said with a chuckle.

"So it is true. Well you should bring her and have the doctors look her over," He said.

"That's a good idea, sir," I muttered. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of that.

"Well I'll see you when you get here," he said and hung up. I placed the phone slowly back and looked back to the table.

"Somehow he already knew everything about you. Did you talk to anyone else last night?" I asked Inora. She thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Oh I did. One of Grumman's assistants was there and asked who she was," Maes said. So, not as impressive as I first thought.

"He did have a good suggestion to take you to the doctors at central command. We should probably make sure that you don't have any brain damage or anything," I said. She shrugged.

"I don't really hurt anywhere but I guess it might be a good idea," she said and finished off her last bite.

"Can I ask you… why are you wearing that?" I asked suddenly, pointing at the necklace.

"I thought we already covered that I don't know. But if you're asking why I'm wearing it even though I don't know where it came from… It's because it's about the only thing left from my life before. Before I lost my memories, before I came here, whatever. Maybe it holds some sort of key for unlocking my memories. But then again maybe that's just wishful thinking," she smiled a little sadly.

"I see…" I couldn't think of anything to say. I am not good with the emotional stuff and everybody knows it.

"I'll go get ready," she said cheerfully and bounded out of the kitchen.

"Good lord her emotions give me whiplash," I muttered.

"Well just this morning really. She's usually pretty happy…she just gave you a glance of what she's really feeling inside Roy. I hope you don't take that for granted," Maes said.

"She gave you a 'glance' too," I shot back.

"Oh please. I might as well have not even been in the room," he muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Oh nothing," he smiled innocently.

"Are you ready to go?" Inora asked as she popped her head back in the door. I stood and looked down at myself.

"How do I look?" I asked the room at large. Inora stepped in front of me and began straightening out various parts of my uniform. I kept hearing a clicking noise behind me but ignored it in favor of focusing on how cutely concentrated she looked. She moved her fingers to my hair and started smoothing it out for me. She stopped and took a step back before shaking her head and reaching out to muss up my hair again. She gave a few more flicks of her wrist and stepped back to appreciate her handy work.

"Perfect," she grinned. Gracia wandered into the kitchen and gave a chuckle.

"You look great Roy. I'm glad you've stopped trying to look older by combing your hair back," she said.

"Just like before you made General," Maes added.

"It really does suit you better," Inora said.

"Alright alright. We should probably go… don't want to keep the old man waiting," I said and headed for the door.

"Ah Roy. Come in, come in," Grumman said. I walked in and sat in the seat he gestured to. "Where's your new friend?"

"I left her with a doctor before coming up here," I explained and his face fell.

"What a shame. I wanted to meet the lady, she sounded feisty," he chuckled.

"Looking for a new girlfriend?" I smirked.

"If only," he sighed. "But on to more important matters. Do you know how old I am?"

"Um… no, sir?" I said unsure. What did his age have to do with anything?

"I'm 86 years old. Sometimes I wonder where the hell the times gone," he muttered.

"What does-"

"I'm _old_ Roy. My hip has been giving me trouble. One day, probably soon, I'll trip and break my hip. Then I'll have to use a walker. Did you know my Doctor already wants me to use a cane? It's madness."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to say," I said.

"My mind's going too now. I lost my glasses this morning, they were on my head," he continued like I hadn't said anything.

"I'm still-"

"Roy, god dammit. _I'm old._ The Amestrian people can't have a leader that limps up to a microphone, using a walker, with his glasses on his head. I've done what I can for this country, it's time I let someone else, someone _younger_, take over. Roy, I believe that person is you."

"…With your approval I'll only need five other generals on my side…" I muttered half to myself. As soon as he said 'I've done what I can' my mind was going crazy with scenarios. I finally focused on him again when he gave a chuckle.

"That's what I like about you Roy, always planning. And you're right about the five generals. I've already been poking around and I know that two generals are in favor of you for sure and one… well he wants this spot himself. "

"Which one?" I asked.

"Johnson and Bleak are in favor of you. Calder is the one you have to watch out for," he said.

"Should have known it was him," I muttered.

"There is a party tonight at 8 at the palace. You need to come and do some politics. I would also suggest bringing a date that will impress them in some way. These men are shallow like that."

"Have you told anyone else?" I asked.

"No. I wanted to give you a head start. I want the right person for the job," he said.

"I'm honored that you think that's me," I said.

"Well we can discuss this more later. I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Of course Sir," I stood and gave him a salute before heading for the door.

"Oh and Roy. If you think she can handle it see if that woman would come. The one that wears your array around her neck," Grumman said mischievously as I closed the door behind me.


	6. Chapter 6

_ "The one that wears your array around her neck."_ That almost sounded like a threat. I snorted as I continued down the hall of the infirmary. Well if it was a threat I have no idea why he felt the need. I went to sit in the waiting area when the doors to my right opened and Inora came through in a wheelchair pushed by a nurse.

"Roy! Come with me, it's boring to just sit there by yourself while they poke at you," she said with a grin.

"I don't think you want him in there for your next test," the nurse muttered.

"Oh who cares, come on," she said again and I shrugged and followed them into a little room.

"So they just x-rayed every inch of my body, and now they're going to check for abuse. Oh and you missed our fun with needles," She explained as she sat on the table.

"Sorry," I said as the nurse left. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I know, I know. I'm just not fond of doctors is all," she said and something just popped into my head.

"Wait, what kind of abuse-" I started but the doctor came in.

"Oh General Mustang, nice to see you again," He greeted and I nodded. I honestly have no idea who he is. "Alright missy, feet up in the stirrups."

"Oh joy," she mumbled but complied.

"Um… do you want me to step out for a moment?" I asked awkwardly.

"Hell no! Do you want me to talk to _him _while he's poking around my vagina?" She asked and the doctor laughed.

"Fine. What did you want to talk about?" I asked awkwardly as I saw the doctor grab some sort of long metal instrument.

"What kind of music do you like?" she asked.

"Jazz mostly. But I like a little of everything really," I replied while she nodded thoughtfully.

"A good song is a good song. What- FUCK! Fuckin' hell, you could have warmed that up a little Doc," she snapped.

"Sorry," he said absently.

"Where did you grow up?" she asked me.

"Um… here in central," I said as I watched the doctor set down the Metal instrument and pull his gloves on a little tighter before diving back in.

"A little disturbing to watch huh?" she laughed before gasping slightly. She cleared her throat and made an obvious effort to relax.

"Just a little," I chuckled.

"Almost done," the doctor said.

"Am I still staying with the Hughes? I can go somewhere else if I need to," she said.

"They are perfectly happy with you staying with them," I said. She smiled and nodded.

"Ok. I'll go look at the x-rays. Be back in a moment," The doctor said and left. Inora wrenched her feet out of the stirrups quickly and slid off the table. I turned respectfully as she reached for her clothes. I heard her humming as she got dressed and I wondered if I could recognize the tune, it sounded familiar somehow.

"You can turn, I'm decent," she said.

"So when you said abuse…" I trailed off.

"Sexual. They wanted to make sure I wasn't raped and lost my memories from emotional trauma," She said casually. I was stuck on the fact that he didn't say that _hadn't_ happened yet.

"Don't worry I'm pretty sure that's not it. So what about food," she said.

"What about it?" I asked.

"What kind of food do you like?" she asked like it was super obvious.

"Any kind as long as it's made well," I replied with an amused smirk.

"Ok... what about…" she continued to ask me questions and I vaguely wondered why the hell she was so interested. I felt a little bad that I couldn't really ask her any of these questions back seeing as she didn't know. But we were having a nice conversation and I was a little disappointed when the doctor came back.

"Ok Inora. There was no sign of sexual assault and no damage to your brain. I found some healed over fractures in your wrists and knuckles… I'm thinking that you used to fight in some way a lot," He explained and Inora shrugged looking at her hands.

"I do have a lot of scars on my knuckles…" she muttered.

"And on the bottom of your feet. Now mind you this is purely guessing in the breeze but it reminds me… in Xing they had assassins, and in rare cases still do, there training was cruel and extensive. They would train to walk across a floor and not make it squeak; if they did then their masters would whip the bottom of their feet."

"So…you think I'm an assassin," Inora smirked.

"I told you it just reminded me of that. Now on to the bad news," He muttered.

"Crap," She said.

"Your ovaries are gone. They were removed surgically so you can't have children. Ever," he said simply.

"Geez Doc maybe you should work on your bedside manner," I muttered. Inora chuckled and patted my arm.

"It's alright Roy I told him to tell me like that earlier," she said.

"So along with no reproductive capabilities you won't have a cycle," He continued.

"No period? Well that's a plus I suppose," she said with a shrug. How the hell is she taking this so lightly?

"But you are perfectly healthy, besides the memory loss, which I can see no reason for. You might want to think about seeing a psychiatrist," the doctor said and walked to the door.

"Alright I'll think about it. Thanks for poking at me I guess," she laughed and bounced out of the door. I followed her silently back through the halls and outside. Is she really ok? That seemed like some pretty rough news for a woman to get. I watched as she pointed at objects in shop windows for me to look at. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself… but what if she was covering her emotions up?

"Inora," I found myself saying. She stopped petting some stray cats to look at me.

"Sorry, you can leave if you want. I know the way from here," she said.

"No it's not that. Are you ok? That was some pretty rough news," I said softly and she smiled.

"It's not like I've been trying to get pregnant or anything. And later on down the road, if I do want a kid, I can always adopt. Weather I gave birth to them or signed some papers for them I would love them just the same," she explained.

"You are absolutely right," I said and reached out to pat her head. I stared into her bright blue eyes for a moment before there was a clap of thunder overhead.

"Ooh a storm," she said happily and I let my hand slid off of her hair as she looked up at the sky. The rain started coming down hard and people around us started scurrying for cover, she closed her eyes and let the rain hit her face. I heard a woman in the shop next to us complaining to her boyfriend about getting her new coat wet and I smiled at the contrast. Inora suddenly grabbed my arm and led me down the street.

The street was empty, it was the middle of the day and people had places to be or were avoiding the rain. We were already soaked through and puddles were forming in the street. She abruptly let go of my arm and ran to the street where she jumped into a puddle causing it to splash everywhere. She laughed and moved onto another one.

"Roy, come on," She called over to me.

"I'm having fun watching," I said and she jogged over to me.

"It's more fun to do then to see," She said and grabbed my hand to pull me to the street. She smiled at me before turning and running to another puddle, dragging me along. She leapt into the air and I was surprised that my feet followed suit. We landed and a large puddle and the splash went up to our knees.

"Well that was childish," I muttered.

"Was it fun?" she asked. I thought about that for a second.

"Well…yeah," I said slightly surprised.

"Then who cares if it's childish," she laughed and pulled me to another puddle. We laughed and jumped in puddles all the way down the street, by the time we reached the Hughes' house we were slightly out of breath and couldn't _stop _laughing. We stood on the porch and watched the rain while our laughter died down. The door opened behind us and Maes popped his head between our shoulders.

"Have fun?" he asked mischievously.

"Fuck yes!" Inora responded enthusiastically.

"You know for such a sweet young woman you swear an awful lot," he said and she sheepishly covered her mouth.

"Sorry," she giggled.

"I don't really mind-"

"Honestly I think it works for her," I said. He looked at me and his face slowly broke into a grin.

"Well come in before you catch a cold," he said. We followed him inside and he bent to whisper something in Gracia's ear. She looked at me for a second before grinning as well but before I could get too suspicious something hit me in the shoulder I looked to realize it was some of Inora's hair. Man her hair must be heavy even when it's dry.

"See I told you you'd have fun," Inora said as she kicked off her shoes.

"Roy, what did Grumman want?" Maes asked.

"He told me some fantastic news…" I explained everything that the old man had told me. Except that he had specifically asked for Inora to accompany me.

"That is great!" Gracia beamed.

"So you need a date huh?" Maes asked in amusement and I saw his eyes flick over to Inora who was still standing beside me.

"Not just any date. Someone who can impress everyone there," I said, might as well butter her up a little. I turned to look pointedly at her and she looked back with a deer caught in the headlights look.

"Me?" she asked incredulously.

"Inora would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a little get together tonight?" I asked politely and she snorted. She snorted? That's not a response I usually get…

"I thought you just said it had to be someone who could impress people," she said.

"I think you-"

"Why are you asking me? And don't lie, cuz I'll know," she said and stared in my eyes fiercely. Ok…scary.

"Word has already spread about you and Fuhrer Grumman has asked that you come. 'The one that wears your array around her neck' were his exact words," I said.

"There, see, was that so hard?" she asked. "Sure I'll come. But I'll need something to wear."

"Don't worry about that, I think I have just the thing. Go get in the bath to warm up and we'll try it out," Gracia said. The women walked out of the room and Maes gave me a glare as soon as they were gone.

"That was a little harsh don't you think?" he asked.

"What?" I asked.

"You just told her that you needed her to come simply because it would further your career."

"She told me to tell the truth," I defended.

"Are you honestly telling me that you wouldn't have ended up asking her anyway? Even if he hadn't requested that she come?" he asked. Honestly… after the last hour, I think I might have.


	7. Chapter 7

"You almost ready? We need to be there in 20 minutes," I called down the hall. I had already gone home and changed into my dress uniform, after calling to see how we should be dressed anyway.

"You can't rush beauty Roy," Gracia called. I almost mentioned that Inora was pretty enough without getting all fixed up but I stopped myself before it left my lips.

"Patients is a virtue," Inora said in a sing song voice.

"Well sorry for not wanting to be late to a party the Fuhrer invited me to," I mumbled not really wanting them to hear.

"You might as well not even fight this battle Roy," Maes said. "I don't know about Inora but Gracia at least takes forever getting ready." I waited for about three more minutes then I was done.

"Ok I don't care if only half your face is done, we need to go," I yelled.

"Calm the fu- um… keep your pants on," Inora said and I could hear her voice getting closer. "My hair is really stubborn."

I glanced down at my watch; we might be on time if we leave right now. I heard Maes clear his throat and he placed a hand on my shoulder, I looked over at him but he was focused on the hallway. I followed his eye line and my brain stopped functioning for a moment. Inora was in a black dress that hugged her torso in a way that showed off her curves elegantly, and at the hips it cascaded down to the floor and made her look taller than she was. Her hair had been curled, even more than normal, into ringlets and bounced as she walked. Her eye makeup somehow made her eyes look even more blue than usual. And of course my array was still centered on her chest perfectly. It's amazing what women can do with fashion sometimes.

She smiled at me as she passed by and I smelled some nice flowery scent that had me breathing deeply just to smell it. I glanced over at Maes who put his arm around Gracia's shoulders and gave me a wink. I hadn't noticed that Gracia followed her out. I kept looking at him for… I don't know what, help I guess. He gave me a nod of encouragement… fuck it. I don't even really know what's going on anymore.

"Roy?" Inora said from by the front door. "Come on, waiting on you now."

"Right," I said giving myself a mental shake. "Let's get going."

* * *

"Well this place is… intense," Inora muttered as we stood outside the building where the car had dropped us off.

"You don't like it?" I chuckled.

"I don't _not_ like it. It's just a little overwhelming," she explained slowly.

"I know what you mean. And that's not surprising given who owned it before it was used for the presidential palace," I said and placed my hand on her back to escort her inside. The Armstrong family had a grand sense of style.

"General Mustang," a butler bowed. "You are expected, allow me to take your coats."

I removed Inora's coat and handed it over before my own. We followed the man down a hallway to some large oak doors. The butler opened them and stepped off to one side with a bow as we passed through. I looked over and saw that Inora looked just a little awkward. I can't really blame her, this is all a little uncomfortable for me too and I've been to several engagements like this.

"Roy," Grumman called. "Glad you could make it. Come over here."

"Ready?" I asked Inora quietly.

"As I'll ever be I guess. I'm still not really sure what everyone is expecting from me," she muttered back and we made our way across the room. Well that makes two of us.

"Just be yourself, you'll be amazing," I said and I wasn't just trying to be encouraging either. She seems to draw everyone to her… it's pretty impossible not to like her.

"Thank you." She sounded a little surprised. I looked at her and gave her a smile as we reached the circle of… high ranking military officers. This is going to be fun.

"Gentlemen," I greeted. "This is Inora."

"My my. What a pretty name to go with such a pretty woman," Grumman said and held his hand out for her to take. She gave a smile that, as corny as it sounds, lit up the room. She placed her hand in his and he predictably brought it to his lips. If it bothered her she certainly didn't show it. One of the staff came up to our group with drinks and offered them around. When it passed by Inora she took one without hesitation.

"Young lady… you do know that's scotch right?" another General asked.

"Of course," she said lightly and took a drink. I watched as some of the men whispered to each other and nodded in approval. I hid a smirk behind my glass, I knew she would be great.

"So Inora, if you don't mind the subject, you've lost your memories?" Grumman asked.

"Oh I don't mind. Yeah, the first thing I remember is seeing Ed's face. Oh, um… Edward Elric," she explained.

"That must have been something," a General snorted.

"Damn straight. But once his brother got him calmed down he was very helpful," She smiled. I watched the reaction to her rather mild language and I saw a few smirks to match my own.

"Then may I ask how you know your name?" Grumman asked.

"Well I guess I don't have any solid proof… but I dreamed it. I'm sure it's mine," She said and took a long drink. I saw her eyes flicker around everyone's hands briefly and I realized she was making sure to match pace with these men.

"So what about…" they kept asking her questions and she kept saying the same thing in different ways: 'yeah it's weird not knowing that about myself but I'm managing'. I was honestly becoming quite impressed with her. She held all of these men in the palm of her hand pretty much. After five minutes.

"Cigars Sirs?" a staff person asked offering around a tray of fine cigars followed by another round of drinks. She took the drink offered to her and when the tray of cigars was awkwardly offered to her she surprised me and everyone yet again by taking one. So now, the prettiest girl in the room by far had a cigar in one hand and a scotch in the other. Of course all the other women were in their fifties at least.

"You're having a cigar?" I found myself asking.

"So are you," she pointed out.

"Yeah but…" I'm a man and you're a woman. That's what I wanted to say but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't go over well.

"But?" she prompted.

"I just didn't know you smoked," I chuckled.

"Well it's a special occasion. I smoke when the mood strikes me," She said with a shrug.

"Have you tried putting up 'found' posters of yourself?" Grumman asked and everyone laughed. They hadn't been listening to our conversation.

"_Found: a girl in her mid twenties. Has no memory from previous life, caution: extremely vulnerable._ Yeah, that'd be a good way to get the creeps flocking to me," She snorted and they all laughed again. Sure it was funny but there was a good point there. Maybe we should start spreading the word about her, maybe then we'd find her family or something. The Generals broke into side conversations for a moment and Inora took the time to down the rest of her drink and give me a look as if asking if she was doing ok. I leaned down to whisper in her ear while they were still distracted.

"You are doing amazingly," I said lowly.

"Whoa lovebirds, save the bedroom talk for home," A general snorted.

"Roy would never take advantage of such a vulnerable woman like that. Would you Roy," Grumman chuckled.

"Of course not sir," I said.

"Such a virtuous man," he said and patted my shoulder. Ok time to make a play. Grumman seemed to be on the same wavelength as he cleverly changed the subject to politics. I stayed in control of the conversation easily while Inora hung around my elbow. I had a feeling she knew what she was doing, getting them in a good mood towards me then being… arm candy so they'll stay in that good mood. Another hour and a half passed _slowly_ and people _finally_ started leaving. Thank god these people are all on the older side, they go to bed earlier.

"Your Excellency," I said and bowed to him. "I think we'll take our leave, Inora did have quite a few tests performed on her this afternoon." Inora turned so only I could see her and raised her eyebrows at me in a look that clearly said 'You're using me as an escape?" She then just rolled her eyes and put on a cute tired face for everyone else.

"Oh that's right. How did that go?" Grumman asked.

"I'm perfectly fine but they did take a lot of blood for tests," she said.

"I understand perfectly, you should go home and rest," he said kindly. It took us another five minutes to get out of there what with all the people wanting to say goodbye to her. A lot followed us outside to go to their own cars so it wasn't until we were in the car and pulling away that we finally relaxed.

"Good God. I thought we would never leave," she said with a groan. She slumped over and her head landed on my shoulder.

"You were great though," I said. She cocked her head to look at me and gave me a glare.

"Ugh. You _so _owe me for that shit. I won the hearts of a bunch of old men for you_ and_ I was your scapegoat," she said.

"You're right, you're right. I owe you big time, so name it. What do you want?" I asked. She sat up and looked me square in the eye.

"Eat me," she said seductively.

"Um… what?" I asked. I know what that _could_ mean… but surly she couldn't mean that.

"You heard me. I want you to go down on me and use that talented tongue of yours until I scream in pleasure," she purred and leaned in close enough I could feel her warm breath on my face.

"I-um…" Well what the hell do I do now? It's not like that's an unpleasant thought… but no. She doesn't have her memories. She could be a nun for all we know. She suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh god Roy. You should have seen your face, it was priceless," she said in between laughs.

"You are so mean," I said playfully and for some reason reached over to wriggle my fingers against her side. She squealed, laughed and tried halfheartedly to slap my hand away.

"F-fucker," she gasped with zero anger behind it.

"So you're ticklish huh?" I wrapped an arm around her so I could attack both sides at once. "Now I know how to get revenge."

"Roy!" she squealed and laughed hard. She squirmed around trying to get free and I laughed as I managed to pin her legs.

"Oh you are screwed," I laughed and she squirmed some more.

"D-dinner!" she forced out.

"Huh?" I was distracted enough to stop my assault.

"Get me dinner tomorrow night and we'll call it even," she said, still panting heavily. I finally registered how we had ended up, me laying halfway on top of her while she was practically laying down on the seat. How the hell did I keep ending up wrapped around her in some way? I sat up quickly.

"You're on," I said as she sat up as well.

"Holy shit my sides hurt now," she said and smacked my shoulder.

"Why is it that I end up acting like a five year old around you?" I laughed.

"'Cause I'm a super fun person," she smirked.

"Um… is the lady going to your house sir?" the driver asked. I was thankful it was so dark in the car as the heat crept up on my cheeks.

"No… we're dropping her off where you picked us up," I said and he nodded. We pulled up in front of the house a minute later and she went to get out but then stopped.

"Are you really tired? They look like they're all in bed so I'll just be bored until I'm tired enough to sleep," she said.

"I suppose I'll come in and talk for a while," I said even though it somehow didn't seem… proper.

"Awesome," she said cheerfully and slid out of the car.

"You can go, I'll just walk home later, it's not that far," I told the driver and slid out after her.

* * *

We sat together on the couch and talked for hours until we both finally drifted off. I never could get myself to leave.


	8. Chapter 8

(A/N):Ok... so this chapter is were one of the more 'unbelievable' things happens. but whatever, it's fanfiction, I do what I want! lol

* * *

"Uncle Roy!" was the only warning I got before a child barreled into my side. I recognized Elicia's voice and realized that Maes must not have kept her from jumping on us this morning. That's another thing, _us._ At least this time I remember what happened. I had started dozing off and Inora got up to put a pillow under my head then… cuddled up to me. She was now wedged between me and the couch while halfway on my chest, using my shoulder as a pillow. I mentally traced my arm and blushed, I had wrapped it around her and my hand was resting lightly on her waist. That in itself wasn't so bad but… why was I unconsciously hugging her?

"Hey kiddo," I half groaned. Inora stirred a little and cracked an eye open to look at me.

"We have to stop meeting like this," she said softly and gave a light chuckle.

"I agree. I'll never be able to leave you two alone apparently," Maes said from above us. I looked up to see him leaning over the back of the couch… with a camera. Of course.

"Hey don't look at me. He's the one that fell asleep on my bed," Inora shot back.

"You're the one that invited me inside," I said slyly. She snorted and moved to crawl off of me. It was crazy but even though she was crawling _off_ it still looked rather sexy. It only took one small reversal in my mind and I was back to trying to think of things that disgusted me.

"So are you hanging around today or just coming back later?" she asked.

"Huh?" I said a little dazed.

"Remember? You owe me dinner," she smiled.

"Oh yeah. Well I don't have anything to do today…" I trailed off.

"Awesome! You should show me around Central then," she said cheerfully.

"You two are having dinner together huh?" Maes asked mischievously.

"Yeah. Payback for all the hoops I jumped through for him last night," she explained. Maes gave me a wink when she turned to head into the bathroom.

"So things went well last night?" he asked.

"Yeah, she had all of the Generals, pride of the Amestris state military, wrapped around her fingers in five minutes," I chuckled.

"Well that's great but that's not really what I was asking," he smirked.

"I know… can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Of course," he said, surprised.

"Have you noticed how I've been acting lately? It's weird, whenever she's involved I start acting like a child," I said quietly.

"In what way?" he asked.

"Like last night I got in some sort of _tickle fight_ with her. If you can believe that," I blushed and shook my head.

"Ah, and also, say… like jumping in puddles in the middle of the street?" he asked and chuckled.

"Huh?" I said stupidly and he flashed a picture under my nose. It was me, hand in hand with Inora, laughing and standing ankle deep in a puddle that was still in the middle of splashing.

"But wait! There's more," he said in a radio voice and pulled out a stack of pictures and I took them slowly, they seemed to be in chronological order. I blushed brightly at the first which was of Inora straddling my lap as I held her chin in my fingers, already leaning. The next was of Inora giggling on my back as I carried her back to the house. One of me laying on top of her that night then one of her on me the next morning. Another puddle picture followed by us dressed up to go to the party. The last was this morning we were still dressed up, wrapped in each other's arms.

"Was it really necessary to stalk me the last two days?" I asked.

"Yes. Did you see your face in those pictures Roy?" he asked and pointed at the pictures unnecessarily. I glanced back through them and looked at the varying degrees of… happiness, from giant grins to content sleeping faces.

"Yeah she's fun," I hedged and stood to get my turn in the bathroom. Inora emerged dressed in regular clothes again and her still 'super curly' hair was up in a high ponytail.

"I can't believe I fell asleep in that dress, good thing that fabric doesn't really wrinkle," she smiled and wandered towards the kitchen. When I went to join them I almost groaned when I saw Inora flipping through the pictures Maes had taken.

"Awww," she cooed. "We look adorable Roy." I gave an awkward chuckle in response as Maes looked extremely smug. I sat next to her and stared at the plate she shoved in front of me.

"Gracia went out shopping but she cooked breakfast for you first," Maes said.

"Fixed you a plate," Inora muttered while she continued to look at the pictures with an expression I couldn't quite place.

"Thanks," I said and dug in. "Are you not eating?"

"Already did," she said.

"This girl can put away. I haven't seen anything like it since Ed," Maes laughed and she stuck her tongue out at him. She suddenly got puppy dog like eyes and shot around the table to throw her arms around him.

"You want me to leave you alone?" I chuckled but was ignored.

"Sweetie, are you ok?" Maes asked after recovering from his shock and hugged her back.

"I'm amazing," she said and let him go after a minute. She simply sat down again like nothing had just happened. Maes and I exchanged confused glances. What the hell was that all about? And that's not the first time she's done that either, but this time she sober.

"So when did you want to leave for sightseeing?" I asked after deciding to file that away for later.

"I'm ready when you are. You coming Maes?" she asked.

"Oh no, I think I'll stay here with Gracia today," he said and gave me a wink when Inora wasn't looking.

We headed out not long after and I brought her to several places that tourists like to see. She, for whatever reason, was even interested in looking when we walked by what was left of lab 5 on the way to the next sight. We passed by some sort of storage building and heard a few shouts of laughter and what sounded like growling. Inora disappeared from my eyesight in a flash of blond. I followed her into the building and felt my feet just stop as I saw Inora walking right up to 3 rather large men beating a… was that a black panther?

"Inora, what the hell!" I called after her but she just kept going. They noticed her and turned with looks that made me sick, they thought they might have some fun with her. I pulled my glove a little tighter and prepared to snap but… it wasn't necessary. It all happened so fast that I barely saw what happened. She punched the first one in the throat, ducked a second ones punch before kicking him right in the balls. The third got his arms around her from the back and she threw her head back to break his nose. When he released her she punched him in the stomach causing him to double over then kicked him in the head.

I ran over and couldn't help but stare at the men on the ground. The first still couldn't really breathe; his throat must be completely crushed. The second was literally crying and holding his crotch, guess he'll never have kids. The third was bleeding from the nose and head, completely passed out. Then there was Inora, who was ignoring the men and was now focused on the panther.

"We should take him to the hospital," she said.

"Which one?" I asked loudly. I was a little agitated. But who can blame me, what the hell just happened?

"Oh fuck those assholes, I was talking about the panther," she said. She started slowly towards the panther and warning lights seemed to go off in my head.

"Inora that thing could be dangerous," I warned. "You don't know what kind of conditioning it's had." She ignored my warning and went up to it; she reached out a hand slowly and allowed him to sniff it before she stroked his head.

"Aw, he's a sweetie pie," she cooed. She's petting… a panther. I must be dreaming. It was lying on the ground; it had blood caked into spots of its fur but other than that looked ok. She kneeled next to it and started moving its legs around and prodding at its side.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Checking for broken bones. I think we're good," she said happily.

"Ok… I'm going to call an ambulance for these guys," I said and turned to leave when something else occurred to me. "Don't get eaten."

"I won't," she chuckled and rolled her eyes. I ran outside to a phone booth and placed the call quickly before dashing back inside. I didn't really want to leave her alone with _any _of those animals in there. But then again it seems she can handle herself. I'll have to ask her about that. That wasn't just heat of the moment fighting either, it was controlled, fluid. It was actually kind of beautiful in a way. That doctor had said something about signs of her fighting a lot, and after seeing that I can't help but wonder if his theory about her feet was right.

"They're on their way," I said when I reached her. She was sitting and petting the thing like it was a house cat, it seemed to have fallen asleep.

"Ok… is your house far?" she asked suddenly.

"Actually it's only a couple of blocks from here. Wait, why?" I asked.

"We should take him there and clean his wounds. I don't think he'll be needing the hospital… or vet I guess in this case," she said.

"You want to bring a _panther_ in my house?" I asked loudly. I heard sirens in the distance.

"Yes, and you'll need to use your authority to make it so they let us take him," she said matter of factly as the sirens stopped out front one by one.

"Is that so?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. The police and the paramedics came rushing in and I got my i.d. out but it wasn't really necessary, they knew me immediately.

"General Mustang sir," several of them said and I put it away, hiding my smirk. I explained everything that happened while they wrote it all down. It turned out that they had been looking for these guys for a while so they were quite happy to get this over with quickly. The next issue was the panther. I sighed and asked that I be in charge of it. It was worth it when Inora gave me a huge smile. They were reluctant at first but once I reminded them about my alchemy they relented on the grounds that I would not hesitate to act if it went wild.

"Ok I think we're done here, we know how to reach you if we need to," An officer said and walked off. On hearing that Inora scooped up the animal and walked towards me.

"Isn't he kind of heavy?" I asked. The animal was rather large and muscular.

"Extremely," she chuckled. I thought for a second and caught an officer as he walked by.

"Excuse me officer, but would you mind giving us a ride?" I asked. He looked at the panther a little apprehensively and I couldn't blame him.

"He's passed out, don't worry," Inora said confidently. The officer shrugged and motioned for us to follow him. We went back outside and I helped her slide into the squad car and I got in after her giving him directions to my house. She laid it down in her lap and his head rolled onto my lap, I froze immediately.

"Pet him," she commanded. "He's not as dangerous as he looks."

"That's the thing. I'm fairly certain that he is dangerous," I muttered.

"Is the big bad State Alchemist scared of a kitty?" she laughed.

"It's not a kitty it's a fucking panther!" I yelled and she giggled.

"Here we are sir," The officer said and I helped Inora gather the animal into her arms and helped her out of the car. I figured that we must look pretty odd to the neighbors right now, getting out of a police car with a black panther. I held the door open for her once I unlocked it and showed her into the living room.

"Just throw a blanket or some towels on the couch and I'll put him there," she said and I noticed her eyes fix on a spot on the wall before I dashed to get some towels. When I came back she had a dazed look about her but seemed to have no problems holding the heavy animal. I went and lifted him from her arms to lay him on the couch, I felt bad that she had carried him this whole time and I also wanted to see how much he weighed for myself. He was heavy. I was honestly surprised that she held him for that long with seemingly no effort.

"Do you have a bucket and some towels I can clean him with?" she asked while shaking out her arms. I got a basin with warm water and some towels then I went to the bathroom to get some antiseptic for good measure. I sat on the chair and watched her clean him gently while humming to herself. I enjoyed listening to her, she had a nice voice, I wanted to ask her to actually sing but she didn't even seem to realize that she was humming. She finished with one side and I helped her turn him over so she could get the other side. That side wasn't as bad and she finished quickly then stood and looked at the clock.

"Do you still want to go to dinner? He'll be asleep for quite a while," she asked.

"Of course, I still owe you right?" I smiled and though it worried me a little, we left the great cat sleeping on my couch and left for a nearby restaurant. When we made it there I was brought to the front of the line waiting and seated in a secluded booth immediately.

"Come here often?" she asked after the waitress took our drink order and gave us menus. The waitress was one that I saw often and she always flirted heavily with me. Inora had just looked on with an amused smile as the waitress ignored her and doted on me.

"Yeah, it's my favorite restaurant," I said.

"Yes I can see that the service is excellent," she teased as she read her menu.

"I swear, she's here every time I come in," I chuckled. We were silent for a minute while we read, but then she suddenly put down her menu.

"Bagheera," she said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"That's what I'm going to name him," she explained happily.

"You're not planning on keeping that thing as a pet are you?" I asked.

"Of course I am," She grinned. I was about to inform her about how insane I thought she was but the waitress came back with our drinks and took our orders. I decided to let the matter go for now and I brought up other things. We ate and talked happily, when we left to go home it occurred to me that she had to be the easiest person to talk to I've ever met. By the time we reached my house we had made plans for tomorrow. I went in and called Maes to explain what had happened and that she would be staying at my house. He made me swear that I wouldn't do anything to the 'vulnerable young woman'.

"Well Hughes finally gave his _permission _for you to stay here," I announced with a sigh. "Honestly what does he think I'm going to do to you?"

"Maybe he's more worried about what I'd do to you," she said with a seductive wink. I blinked at her and she dissolved into laughter.

"Oh your face," she said once she had caught her breath. I was still caught on the fact that I almost asked her what she would do to me exactly. As she sprawled out on what was left of the couch I found myself wanting her to open her arms to me, to call out to me. But she obviously found that situation funny, not desirable, I felt I twinge of hurt in my chest.

I think I've fallen for this woman.


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up rather early that Sunday, well for me anyway. Even though I didn't set an alarm my body knew I wanted to be up to check on her. She had insisted on sleeping on the couch last night with that animal, I told her that was crazy but she wouldn't listen. I rolled out of bed and tiptoed to the living room before going to shower. She was still asleep, as was the panther. I felt a little more confidant when I saw that it had even curled up to her a little. I started heading back to my room when the phone rang. I practically ran to the nearest phone and yanked it off its spot before the second ring. I didn't want to wake her, or worse, startle the beast on my couch.

"Hello?" I answered quietly.

"That was fast. Waiting for someone else to call perhaps?" the voice teased.

"Fuhrer Grumman Sir," I said a little surprised.

"Yes, I just wanted to call to tell you nice job on Friday. The Generals as a whole are much more in your favor now and I know a few have already said that they might like you for Fuhrer. But be careful, this paints a rather large target on your back," he explained.

"I understand sir, I'll keep an eye out," I replied.

"I have no doubt that you can handle yourself… but it might be a good idea to have a guard of sorts near at all times until this is settled." My mind flashed to an image of Inora taking out those three men like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"I'll look into that sir," I said. "I have yet to inform my men and I'm sure they'd agree with you."

"Good. Also tomorrow I need you to report straight here. I have some other ideas that might help us," he said.

"Of course sir. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Enjoy the rest of your weekend Mustang," he said mischievously and hung up. I sighed and hung up my end.

"So I take it Friday went well?" I jumped and turned to find Inora standing right behind me.

"You scared me," I chuckled.

"Sorry," she smiled.

"But yes it did, it was a giant leap forward," I said. I was about to offer some breakfast when I saw the animal slink out of the living room and move towards Inora. I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to me.

"What are you… oh Bagheera. You're awake," she said happily.

"I can't believe I left my gloves in my room," I growled.

"You are _not_ setting my kitty on fire," she scolded.

"That's not a cat it's a panther!" I almost yelled, but I kept my voice down so I wouldn't anger it. "And how do you know about my Alchemy anyway?"

"Maes told me," she answered quickly. The animal was about a foot away from us now and I held my breath as I waited to see what would happen. Inora offered him her hand and he sniffed at it before nudging it with his nose. She laughed and dropped to her knees next to him and pet him affectionately.

"I don't believe it," I muttered. This animal seemed to adore Inora already, I guess it realized that she had saved its life.

"Roy, come here," she said and held out her hand for me to take. I placed my hand in hers and she pulled me closer. I was distracted by the feel of her warm hand on mine that I got down beside them without a fight. She brought my hand slowly to the beast and I tensed as it sniffed at my hand. She guided my hand into its fur and soon I was in wonder as we both pet the animal while it… purred. I didn't know panthers purred.

"See? Kitty," she chuckled.

"We're going to have to find it something to eat though," I muttered. Don't want the thing getting hungry and deciding to not be so nice.

"Bagheera," she cooed. "Do you like your name? Bagheera."

"Inora… I really don't think you can keep him," I said softly.

"Are there laws against it?" she asked. She looked directly in my eyes with her big blue eyes and my heart melted.

"I'll look into it ok? Just… don't get your hopes up too much," I said and she grinned before throwing her arms around me almost sending me to the ground.

"Thank you!" she said. I felt something nudge against our sides and we both looked to the side to see Bagheera trying to break into our hug. She giggled and let go of me with one hand to wrap around the animal as well. I mentally shrugged and pulled him closer as well.

"I can't believe I'm in a group hug involving a panther," I said and we both laughed. The door chose that moment to swing open leaving Maes standing there looking at us with shock.

"Is that a panther?" he asked loudly.

"His name's Bagheera. We found him yesterday," Inora explained as though it was nothing. I reluctantly stood from my place in Inora's arm and went over to tell him the whole story.

"Ah… well you'll have to get a permit but with your status it shouldn't be too hard. I'll help you with it tomorrow," he said.

"Come here Maes, I'll introduce you," she said. I watched and saw that it wasn't the same as what she did for me. She wrapped her arms around the animal and just let Maes approach him slowly. I wondered if there was a reason for that but I decided against it.

* * *

"That's great Roy. Keep this up and the Fuhrer will be able to announce his retirement by the end of the month," Maes chuckled. We had sat down in the living room so I could tell them everything the old man had said. Inora was on the couch happily petting Bagheera on her lap. Her _lap_. This was really going to take some getting used to.

"If you need me for anymore parties just let me know," she said.

"I'm glad to hear it. You really were a huge help… I probably owe you more than just the one dinner," I hinted, I wanted to take her out again.

"All I did was drink some and smoke a cigar. It really wasn't that big a deal," she smiled kindly. Ok so did she not get my hint or is she avoiding going out with me again? Though she did just offer to go to another party… for my career. Right. My mind flashed back to her flirting with me as a joke. She's probably not interested. There was a bit of an awkward silence, at least on my end, until Maes decided to step in.

"Well Sweetie, as much as I enjoy having you at my house…" Maes trailed off.

"Of course you don't want Bagheera around Elicia," she said kindly.

"Though I'm not sure how I feel about you living with Roy either," he muttered.

"What the hell do you think I'm going to do to her?" I yelled.

"Maybe I'm more worried about what she would do to you," he grinned.

"That's what I said," Inora laughed.

"_Anyways_… I have a spare bedroom so she can stay there," I offered.

"I can cook," Inora said randomly.

"Huh?" I asked.

"So I'm not such a freeloader or whatever. I'll cook for you," she smiled at me. "I should warn you though it wont be food like your used to, but it usually tastes good."

"That sounds like a good deal Roy, you have too much space anyway. And we all know you get most of your meals from the local restaurants," Maes put in.

"Ok. That will be nice," I said. "We'll go food shopping today then."

"And get my clothes from his house," Inora gestured to Maes and I nodded. "By the way do you have some clothes I can run in?"

"I'm sure I can find something… you run?" I asked.

"Well I… have a felling like I should. You know what I mean?" she asked slowly.

"No, not really," I chuckled and she laughed. After a second Maes cleared his throat, reminding us that he was still there.

"I came over to see if you two wanted to go out for breakfast… but we spent longer than I thought talking so I should get going," he said and gave me a smirk that Inora couldn't see.

"Oh well I'll see you whenever I see you then," Inora said cheerfully and went back to petting Bagheera. I walked him to the door and he put a hand on my shoulder and leaned forward so Inora couldn't hear.

"Roy… I saw those looks you were giving her. You like her don't you," he said softly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said stubbornly.

"I know it must feel like she's blocking you sometimes but I don't think that's her intention. I say ignore the signals you get, what's the worst that could happen?" he grinned.

"I think you're insane," I said simply. He shrugged and walked out the door.

"At least think about it Roy," he called before I closed the door.

"So what do you want to do for breakfast?" Inora asked when I went back to the living room.

"Well we could go out or… well I don't think there's much in the kitchen right now," I admitted.

"I'll be the judge of that," she said and prodded Bagheera off of her legs and practically bounced into the kitchen. I followed her through the swinging door and she was already digging through my freezer. I stood there and watched her silently until I felt something brush against my legs.

"Holy shit!" I yelled when I looked down. Bagheera had followed us in here and was now rubbing on my leg. I'm man enough to admit that it was a little frightening. Ok, it was scary as hell.

"Awww, he likes you Roy," she said. I looked at her encouraging smile and took a breath before reaching down to scratch his head. He closed his eyes and leaned heavily against me.

"I wonder why," I muttered.

"I've got it!" she said triumphantly and pulled a bag of hash browns from the freezer then pulled eggs out of the refrigerator. She threw the potatoes in a skillet and started frying them before cracking three eggs into it.

"Interesting," I said and she laughed.

"I told you I wouldn't make things the way you're used to. Plus I'm trying to hurry," she said as she stirred the contents of the pan. I got some plates down and poured us some drinks while we chatted idly. This felt… kind of nice. I never spend my mornings with people, until the last few days anyway. I could get used to this. When she deemed the food done she scraped half onto each plate and we sat at the table.

"Now it may not look pretty but try some and I think you'll be happy," she said and dug into her own food with gusto. I took a bite and found that it was good even if it was a little plain.

After we finished eating we cleaned up and got ready to leave. Before we left Inora had the idea that Bagheera might have to go outside. I snuck to my bedroom to grab a glove before she opened the back door for him. I figured I should be ready if he tries to make a run for it. Apparently I worried for nothing. The animal simply went outside and relieved itself in what should have been a flower bed and walked back to Inora's side after burying it. It really was like a big cat, weird.

We finally left for the store and I held the basket while she walked down the aisles inspecting the food. We bought a _lot_ of steak for Bagheera on my request. We talked easily the whole time and checked out with armfuls of bags. When we went to the Hughes house Inora randomly hugged Maes again before going to get her clothes. We didn't even really notice, funny how fast we got used to that. When we got home she enjoyed giving Bagheera a steak before putting on some of my clothes to go for a run. While she was gone I was left alone to think about how seeing her in my clothes made me feel. I wasn't really sure except for one thing, it was a way bigger deal than it should be. Before I could stop myself I pictured her in one of my work shirts which sent heat right to my groin.

By the time I had fixed _that_ problem, a little guiltily, she came back. She took a shower and changed while I read. She came back and grabbed a book off the shelf before sitting next to me on the couch. We read quietly for some time before I glanced over at the book she was reading. I did a double take.

"Are you interested in alchemy?" I asked. She was reading _The Basics of Alchemy._

"It seems really interesting actually. I don't think I could ever do it though," she said as she turned the page.

"Why not?" I asked and she smiled at me.

"I can't draw worth shit dude. One of the things this book says over and over is that the circle has to be pretty much flawless," she explained.

"Well you could still learn with someone else drawing them for you. You could still be a good alchemist if you have the mind for it. Actually I don't even remember the last time I drew a circle. Same for Ed probably," I said.

"Yeah but you and Ed don't need circles. You just clap," she said and clapped her hands together.

"How did you know that?" I asked slowly.

"Ed told me," she said and buried her nose in the book again, I shrugged it off.

"Do you want to learn?" I asked. She looked at me with huge eyes for a few seconds before nodding enthusiastically.

"Yes!" she almost squealed and I smiled at her attitude. I'll have to find time to show her, and there are a lot of other alchemists around that could help. With her personality they'll probably be begging to. I chuckled when I thought about all of the state alchemists lining up for a chance to teach her. I looked into her happily shinning eyes and decided I wouldn't be surprised if that did happen… and if it did I knew it would be hard to restrain myself from snapping.

"I'll be happy to teach you," I said and she threw her arms around me. I returned the hug softly, enjoying the moment while I could. I think I'm in trouble.


End file.
